Skipping Christmas was my church book club’s December selection. It was also a book that we shared with the ladies at the transitional center where I volunteer. We met last Thursday for food, fellowship, and a time of discussing what really matters at Christmas. Grisham’s book is a light-hearted look at a couple who decide to skip the holiday chaos for a 10 day Caribbean cruise. While their neighbors, co-workers and friends are in the middle of the holiday craziness, they congratulate themselves on avoiding all the nonsense. That is, until their daughter informs them that she will be home for Christmas. Then they embark on a decorating, shopping and party-making frenzy.

While most of us enjoyed the funny portrayal of Luther’s attempt to skip Christmas, we were disappointed that Grisham did not use the book to focus a little more on the true meaning of Christmas. And though we realized that the targeted audience was secular, it would have been nice to have a bit more mention of Jesus’ birth. We also were disappointed that Luther failed to give to charities, something he and his wife agreed would not be missing from the year’s skipped celebration. But the book did spark a lot of discussion — what needs to be skipped, what just can’t be left out and our families’ traditions – past and present. Many of the ladies at the center won’t be with family this year. It was great to have a time to talk about what Christmas is really all about.

So while Skipping Christmas is fluffy, it did lead to deep discussions. So I would recommend this book for book clubs looking for a quick read for their December discussions.

Some of the reviewers, I'm afraid, take themselves and some books entirely too seriously. Get over yourself people. It's called "Skipping Christmas".....................................the inside jacket tells you what to expect.

I enjoyed this book. I laughed at times, I could so relate at other times. A quick read and a little fun in a world where people take themselves wayyyyyyyy too seriously. ( )

Skipping Christmas by John GrishamThe money they had spent on Christmas last year was enough for a cruise to warm balmy weather in the Carribean and they decide this year to just skip the holiday.The neighbors have strong feelings about the house being left alone-not decorated like all the others on the block. The kids are away for the holidays.Neighbors bombard them with pleads of help for charity and it falls on deaf ears. Tanning salons and going on a diet are the plan of action so they will fit in on the island when they arrive.Could one phone call change their minds about the plans? This really concentrates on all the drama and commercialization surrounding the holiday, makes me laugh.I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device). ( )

Wikipedia in English (1)

Imagine a year without Christmas. No crowded malls, no corny office parties, no fruitcakes, no unwanted presents. That’s just what Luther and Nora Krank have in mind when they decide that, just this once, they’ll skip the holiday altogether. Theirs will be the only house on Hemlock Street without a rooftop Frosty, they won’t be hosting their annual Christmas Eve bash, they aren’t even going to have a tree. They won’t need one, because come December 25 they’re setting sail on a Caribbean cruise. But as this weary couple is about to discover, skipping Christmas brings enormous consequences—and isn’t half as easy as they’d imagined.

A classic tale for modern times from a beloved storyteller, John Grisham’s Skipping Christmas offers a hilarious look at the chaos and frenzy that have become part of our holiday tradition.